Routledge - Moulding the Female Body in Victorian Literature

Explore the complex landscape of Victorian femininity through the lens of non-traditional narratives. In Moulding the Female Body in Victorian Fairy Tales and Sensation Novels, Laurence Talairach-Vielmas examines how gender is represented in genres that move away from mainstream realism. This academic study looks at the ways children's literature and sensation fiction shape our understanding of the female form and identity. The research covers a wide range of influential authors, including George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll, and Christina Rossetti in the realm of fairy tales. It also investigates the sensation novels of Wilkie Collins, Mary Elizabeth Braddon, and Charles Dickens. By analyzing the tension between fantasy and reality, this work provides a deep look into how hyper-realistic feminine representations emerge within anti-realistic settings. This book is an essential resource for students and scholars of literary theory and Victorian history. It offers a unique perspective on how genre-bending stories contribute to the broader study of gender and literature during the nineteenth century.